Last update 9 January, 2023 por Alberto Llopis
The Levante UD shirt is one of the most recognizable in Spanish football. Barcelona has been the representative color of the Granota fans for many decades. Today we will review the origin of this clothing.
He Levante OUT current born from the merger of two clubs: He Levante FC and the Gymnastic Football Club, both founded in the year 1909. In fact, as it is a merger, the entity maintains the seniority of both, something that makes him senior club of the city of Valencia.
Why is the Levante shirt blaugrana??
This merger took place in the year 1939. Until that moment, el Levante FC He was wearing a black and white striped T-shirt, Meanwhile he Gimnástico he used the azulgrana. However, Levante Gimnástico Sports Union (EXTENSION), He began wearing rojiblanco until the year 1941. It is at that moment, when the name of Levante OUT (in reference to Levante FC) and it is chosen the Barcelona shirt (in honor of the gymnastic).
Por tanto, the Levante shirt has its Barça origin in the Gimnástico but… Why did the Valencian club choose this outfit?? There are several theories.
One of them is the one published by the FC Barcelona in his web page, that is to say, it is its official version:
The Valencia club adopted the azulgrana in 1939, thirty years after its founding. It was due to the merger with another club, Gymnastic FC. It was decided that the new club would keep the Levante name but would carry the colors of Gimnástico FC, which were also the colors of Barça.
Gimnástico was founded in 1909 by a Barcelona Jesuit, Narcís Basté and Basté, who moved to Valencia in 1901. The colors and crest of the old club's shield were so similar to those of Barça, that it was impossible to imagine that it was a simple coincidence.
The version of the Barça, As we have seen at the beginning of the article, is inaccurate because the UDLG wore rojiblanco since 1939 a 1941. On the other hand, could not be shown that Narcís Basté, one of the founders of Gimnástico, chose these colors out of deference to FC Barcelona.